Finishing apparatus



' March 27, 19340 B. A. FRANKLIN 1,952,064

FINISHING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 15, 1932 INVENTOR,fieiy'amz'iz Ji fiamliiz,

ATTORNEY.

B. A. FRANKLIN FINISHING APPARATUS Filed July 15, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR, fifl zjamziz J7. i'mzztlm, M C 21 ATTORNEY.

March 27, 1934.

lllllllllllllllllllllll Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PA'rsrrrOFFICE FINISHING APPARATUS Benjamin A. Franklin, Springfield, Mass.Application-July 15, 1932, Serial No. 622,650

14 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for finishing thesurface of webs from rolls and sheets of material and is directed moreparticularly to improvements inapparatus for G finishing paper andsimilar materials in web or sheet form. The principal objects of theinvention are directed to the provision of an apparatus adapted toco-operate with co-acting pressure members for finishing paper and likematerials. A finishing element or elements and a web or sheet ofmaterial such as paper in superposed relation are carried throughco-acting pressure members for a finishing operation so that thematerial is impressed with the characteristics of the element orelements and thereby finished.

The present invention comprehends the provision of apparatus wherein afinishing element or elements is manipulated by a carrier or carrierswhich carry the same between pressure members such as rolls and. theelements may be readily interchanged without danger of the elementsbeing destroyed or injured. According to special features of theinvention the apparatus is so constructed and arranged that finishingelements may be readily interchanged so as to not retard production.Altogether it is possible to provide a multiplicity of finishes withoutthe expensive embossed rolls now commonly em- 30 ployed for finishing.Also the expense in changing rolls as is now necessary is obviated sincechanges in finishes may be accomplished by the simple operation ofchanging the finishing elements on the carriers.

Various novel features of construction and advantages of the inventionwill hereinafter more fully appear in the detailed description and theappended claims. For the purpose of illustraing the invention, there isshown in the accompanying drawings typical embodiments of it which inpractice will give reliable and satisfactory results. It is to beunderstood that these embodiments are typical only and that the variousinstrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variouslyarranged and organized and that the invention is not limited to theprecise arrangement of the instrumentalities-shown.

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevational view through an apparatus having thenovel features of the invention associated therewithr Fig. 2 is a frontelevational view of the same taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 isan enlarged sectional view through the carrier mechanism of theapparatus. Fig. 4 is a side elevationalview of certain details ofconstruction of the carrier mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a transverse or longitudinal sectional view'through a paperdrying apparatus having the novel features of the invention associatedtherewith, and

Fig. 6 is an end elevational view showing the relation of certain of theparts shown in Fig. 5. Referring to the drawings more in detail theinvention will be fully described.

In Fig. 1 there is shown an apparatus embody- OI ing the novel featuresof the invention in association with a pair of co-acting rolls 2 of whatmay be a calender or finishing machine. Itwill be understood that thestructure of the invention may be used in combination with the co-actingrolls of various types of apparatus, it being intended to make use ofco-acting rolls for the finishing operation; For instance it may be usedwith a pasting machine, drier or other apparatus common to, the paperindustry.

According to the invention the rolls such as 2 will preferably beoperatively connected as by gears 5 which may be located outside framesF in which the rolls 2 are journalled. Endless carriers such as 4 andpreferably two for each 01? the rolls 2 are disposed at opposite ends ofsaid rolls. These are supported outside the rolls 2 by suitable idlersat either side of drums 6 all as indicated in Fig. 1.. g p

The drums and idlers are rotatable in bearings 8 of frames F whichframes may be associated with the frames F. The. exact construction inthis respect will depend more or less upon the nature of the apparatuswith which the apparatus of the invention is to be used.

The endless carriers 4 maybe in the form of chains or possibly racks soas to be engageable with and driven by the rolls. Sprockets or gears 10at opposite ends of the rolls may engage with the chains for the drivingfunction.

When the carriers are made in the form of chains as shown, the saidchains may include links such as 16 which are pivoted together in thewell known manner as by intermediate links indicated by dotted lines 18in Fig. 4. Thus the carrier chains will be'sufiiciently flexible notonly to engage with the drivers 10 but to pass around the idlers 6, aswell as around other supporting members.

, The carriers are so arranged that the lower and upper runs of theupper, and lower carriers respectively will be carried forwardly or willbe driven by the rolls 2 so that the surface speed thereof will besubstantially the same as that of the rolls.

or other material a finish to the surfaces thereof which will correspondto the surfaces of the element. The finishing element or elements E maybe alike or one element in association with one set of carriers may bedifferent from the element associated with the other and of course thefinishing elements may take various forms.

As explained in connection with Figs. 3 and 4, the elements forfinishing may consist of composite materials, fabrics of various kindssuch as linen, burlap or the like and an apron 20 may be disposedthereunder to support the same.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 the aprons 20 may be ofrelatively thin material such as sheet metal and may overlie the links16 with finishing elements E superposed thereon. The finishing elementsmay if desired be adhesively or otherwise secured to the members 20 butwill not be necessary in all cases. The members 20 and E may be ofcourse endless or at least opposite ends thereof may be brought intoclose abutment and secured together in any suitable manner. The elementsE may be of different kinds or types of material, and in each elementthere may be a certain length of a certain type of fabric and thenanother length of another type of fabric. g

The members 20 as well as the'elements E for finishing the paper areremovably attached at opposite marginal edges to the carriers or to thelinks thereof. This is so they may be easily and readily removed fromthe carriers for the purpose stated. Various meansmay be employed forsecuring the edges of the members 20 and E to the carriers. In the formof the invention shown clamps 31 are provided which have stems 32slidable in bosses 30 of the links 16 and adjusting nuts 36 in threadedengagement with the lower ends ofthe stems are adapted to exert endwisepressure thereto and cause the clamps to press the edges of the elementsE onto the links or onto the aprons below the elements.

In the operation of the apparatus when associated with a pair ofco-acting pressure rolls after the manner described the adjacent runs ofthe upper and lower carriers-are moved forwardly so as to carry thefinishing elements forwardly between the rolls. The material to befinished such as paper is disposed between the finishing elements sothat as the elements at upper and lower sides of the paper are passedthrough the rolls the pressing action of the rolls causes the paper tobe finished or impressed with the characteristics of the finishingelements.

The carriers in the form of chains or otherwise, may be constructed asis usual so one carrier may be disconnected and the other carrier onlyand its finishing element used. In such a case the upper roll willbearon the paper and press it against the finishing element therebelow whichis backed up by the other roll.

The modification of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6 will now beexplained in reference to those figures. In this form of the invention aplurality of rolls 40 are shown which may represent the drums of adrying machine and these are usually arranged so that a web of paperrepresented by W passes over and under the drums progressively as itpasses through the machine.

According to this form of the invention it is possible to subject theweb of paper or other material to a finishing or a surface treatingoperation as it passes through the drier and at a time when its body andsurface may be more or less moist and in that way obtain an efiicientfinishing action.

For this purpose a pair of rolls 44 is disposed adjacent the drier asshown and finishing elements 46 similar to those already described passover the rolls 44 and other idler rolls 48. These finishing elements 46as in the former case are carried by carriers such as chains 50 atopposite ends of the rolls.

It is of course desirable that the rolls 44 operate at the same rate ofspeed as the drums 40 and for this purpose one of the rolls 44 such asthe lower one may be operatively connected to one of the drums 44 bymeans of the chain and sprockets 54 and 56 shown in Fig. 6.

In this form of the invention the web W is led from a drum 40 upwardlyand into contact with the finishing elements '46 so that it is passedtherewith between the rolls 44 for the finishing actionand thendownwardly again into the dryer where it continues onwardly in the usualmanner.

As distinguished from the finishing elements previously referred toinconnection with Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the elements may take the form of arelatively stiff member such as a plate having a finishing surfacethereon produced by etching or the like. In this case the plate may becarried forwardly by a carrier and with paper superposed thereon bepassed through the rolls for the finishing operation.

In another way the carriers may be formed and supported in such a way asto accommodate a circular or semi-circular finishing plate the radius ofwhich may be some larger than that of a'roll with which it operates.Since the carriers may be driven by the roll as described the plate willrotate with it;

It will be noted that sheets or webs of material from rolls thereof maybe operated with equal facility so that and in that way the apparatus isapplicable within a wide range for finishing purposes.

In all cases the finishing element will preferably travel at the samespeed as the surface of the rolls so that there will be no relativemovements of the finishing elements, paper and rolls.

From the foregoing it will be observed that there is provided anapparatus wherein the finishing operation is performed in an eflicientand economical manner and that by means of the invention it is possibleto provide a multiplicity of finishing elements, which may be readilyinterchangeable and provide a multiplicity of finishes without theexpense of specially engraved rolls or other expensive equipment.

Having described the invention in the form at present preferred what Inow desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis:

'1. The combination with co-acting pressure rolls of apparatus of theclass described comprising, endless carriers at opposite ends of one ofsaid rolls operatively connected thereto and driven thereby, and afinishing element secured to and supported by. said carriers so as to becarried through said rolls.

2. The combination with co-acting pressure rolls of apparatus of theclass described comprising, endless carriers at opposite ends of one ofsaid rolls operatively connected to and driven thereby,- finishingelements extending between and secured to carriers at the ends of saidrolls so as to be carried simultaneously through said rolls by saidcarriers 3..The combination with co-acting pressure rolls of apparatusof the class described comprising, endless carriers supported atopposite sides of said rolls and having adjacent runs operativelyconnected to opposite ends of the rolls whereby said carriers are drivenby said rolls and finishing elements having opposite sides secured tosaid carriers whereby they are carried simultaneously through saidrolls.

4. The combination with co-acting pressure rolls of apparatus of theclass described comprising, endless carriers at opposite ends of one ofsaid rolls and enclosing the axis thereof, driving connections betweensaid roll and carriers and a finishing element associated with saidcarriers so as to be moved between the rolls thereby.

5. The combinationwith co-acting. pressure rolls of apparatus of theclass described comprising, endless carriers at opposite ends of one ofsaid rolls and enclosing the axis thereof, driving connections betweensaid roll and carriers and a finishing element associated with saidcarriers so as to be moved between the rolls thereby, the said carriersbeing provided with means for releasably clamping said element. i

6. The combination with co-acting pressure rolls of apparatus of theclass described comprising, endless carriers at opposite ends of both ofsaid rolls and enclosing the axes thereof, driving connections betweensaid rolls and. carriers and finishing elements associated with saidcarriers so as to be moved between the rolls thereby.

and operatively connected to one of said rolls and an apron and afinishing element carried by said carriers so as to be movable therebythrough said rolls.

9. The combination with a plurality of rolls of means for finishingmaterial in web form comprising, a pair of rolls, endless carriers atopposite ends of one of said rolls, driving connections between saidrollsand carriers and a finishing element carried by said carriersbetween said rolls whereby a web of material from said firstnamed rollsmay be passed through said lastnamed rolls.

10. The combination with a plurality of rolls of means for finishingmaterial in web form comprising, a pair of rolls, endless carriers atopposite ends of one of said rolls, driving connections between saidrolls and carriers and a finishing element carried by said carriersbetween said rolls whereby a web of material from said first-named rollsmay be passed through said last-named rolls, and driving connectionsbetween certain of said first-named and last-named rolls.

11. The combination with a plurality of rolls of means for finishingmaterial in web form comprising, a pair of rolls, endless carriers atopposite ends of said rolls, driving connections between said rolls,carriers and a finishing element carried by said carriers between saidrolls whereby a web of material from said first-named rolls may bepassed through said last-named rolls, and driving connections betweencertain of said first-named and last-named rolls.

12. The combination with a plurality of rolls of means for finishingmaterial in web form comprising, a pair of rolls, endless carriersatopposite ends of said rolls, driving connections between said rolls,carriers and a finishing element carried by said carriers between saidrolls where by a web of material from said first-named rolls may bepassed through said last-named rolls.

13. The combination with co-acting pressure rolls of apparatus of theclass described comprising, a carrier structure operatively connected atopposite ends to opposite ends of one of said rolls and driven thereby,and a finishing element supported by said carrier structure so as to becarried through saiii rolls.

14. A combination with a plurality of drying cylinders of apparatus forfinishing paper being I acted upon by said cylinders comprising,coacting pressure rolls, a carrier structure operatively connected atopposite ends to opposite ends of one of said rolls and driven therebyand a finishing element supported by said carrier structure so as to becarried through said coacting rolls.

BENJAMIN A. FRANKUIN.

